Week of wet weather rolls in to Santa Cruz County

SANTA CRUZ -- It might not be a white Christmas, but it will be a wet one.

Last-minute holiday shoppers shouldn't leave home this weekend without an umbrella, as strong rains are expected with rainfall continuing through Christmas Day. The Grinch-like forecast calls for wet weather through the end of next week, with the downpours having begun Friday.

"It will rain," said Christine Riley, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.

The strongest bands of weather are expected to strike Saturday morning and Sunday evening. Gusty winds accompany both weather fronts, which are being spun off front a storm slowly making its way down the Pacific Coast from British Columbia.

It will also bringing cool, northern temperatures, though the arrival of cloud cover means the coldest nights are probably behind us. Temperatures are likely to range from the low 50s to the low to mid-40s.

While earlier forecasts called for a clear Christmas, that no longer appears to be the case. Forecasters said the best bet for a break is shortly after Santa Claus arrives.

"You might have the morning clear, depending on timing, but it looks at some point on Christmas Day, you'll see some rain," Riley said.

Riley said higher elevations could see several inches of rain, though less than what the county absorbed during a more significant series of storms earlier this month.

County Public Works Director John Presleigh said there were no significant problems on the roads Friday. While the county got a three-week break from rain, Presleigh said wet weather always needs to be monitored.